Traders at Forster Square retail park say only security cameras will catch youngsters who are endangering lives by holding unofficial rallies in the car park.

Shopkeepers believe that high-powered cars were meeting on the site on a weekly basis and the car park was gradually being vandalised.

They claim trees have been pulled up and bins knocked over. One trader even fears that a car will crash through his window and kill someone before a halt is called to the dangerous rallies.

Police and firefighters rushed to the park at 7.30pm yesterday after 200 youngsters in cars converged on the car park. Two vehicles were overturned and set alight.

Station Officer David Myers from Bradford Fire Station said: "When our crews arrived, there were a number of vehicles which were racing. Because of the numbers of vehicles present, the crews had difficulty getting to the vehicles."

He said a Ford Fiesta and a Lada Riva had been set alight deliberately and burned out. "This is the first time we have been called out to a situation like this at Forster Square, but the people who were there didn't give the fire crews any bother."

A police spokeswoman said: "A large number of youths attended in approximately 200 vehicles and two of those vehicles were set on fire by a small group of youths. A number of police officers attended with the fire service. There was no disorder."

She said that by 10pm the car park had been cleared and two stolen vehicles recovered.

"Incidents such as this have occurred previously on a much smaller scale where they have been proactively policed," she said. "Such policing will continue over the forthcoming weekends."

Edward Lodge, store manager at the JJB Sports store at the retail park, said: "The cars don't affect our trade, but the car park bins are knocked down and trees and bushes are uprooted, causing damage. There has been talk of getting some cameras in but this obviously hasn't happened yet."

Steve Barrett, of Pets At Home, said the cars had gathered last weekend. "Every other shop does have bollards up to protect the front of their properties," he said.

An attendant for Excel Parking Services, who are contracted to survey the car park, said they were not hired to look after the car park in the evening.